Follow the path of Dao from infancy Chapter 1760 Chapter 451: Chess Tao Thirteen, Formless Chess Heart (5K)

This was a spectacle beyond anything Li Hao had ever seen, even when his master, the Dao Origin Immortal Emperor, had exerted his full power.

The Chess Tao mastery of the two elders sitting before him was clearly far beyond his own level. It even eclipsed his master's realization, likely reaching the fourteenth or perhaps even the fifteenth stage!

Li Hao found himself transformed into a single pawn upon the board. From this perspective, he could only catch glimpses of an infinite starry sky, where the ten thousand Dao laws served as the fundamental order. Starlands were scattered throughout the expanse, layered with various realms and overlapping time, creating a scene of pure fantasy.

"The order of Law is the thread, space and time intersect, the past and the future merge..."

Li Hao’s gaze turned vacant. This was Chess Tao—chess played as if it were the heaven and the earth themselves.

A sudden epiphany struck his heart: an Emperor of Chess Tao treats all living beings as pieces; a Sage of Chess Tao utilizes the heavens and the earth as the board, with the sun, moon, and stars as the stones; but the ultimate Chess Tao views the entire universe and the ancient chaos as nothing more than a fragment, all of it serving as mere pieces.

His own Chess Tao focused on defying Yin and Yang to reshape destiny, where all beings were pieces—even the opponent's stones could be cunningly turned into his own tools. However, the Chess Tao unfolding before him far surpassed that concept. It had already transcended the physical board, arranging its patterns within the very chaos of the heavens.

"I am but a piece..."

Li Hao looked around, realizing he was already completely hemmed in.

This piece representing him had become a dead stone.

In a mere heartbeat, it would be crushed and swept away from the board.

"There must be a way out, a path to survival..."

Li Hao’s breathing grew shallow and rapid. His eyes darted around with intense focus, but every direction was sealed. There was no path to the heavens and no way into the earth; where could the exit be?

"Space-time... I must cross this barrier of space and time..."

In this moment of life-or-death crisis, a spark of inspiration ignited in Li Hao’s mind. His Time Origin had already reached the Eighth Layer, allowing him to glimpse a path leading to a past that had not yet been blockaded. He charged toward it with all his strength.

"Hmm?"

A flicker of astonishment crossed the eyes of the two elders seated at the board. Elder Qi glanced at the youth standing behind Elder Eight; the young man appeared to be in a total trance, his eyes locked onto the chessboard as if his soul had been sucked inside.

Just a moment ago, the boy's Divine Thought had actually made contact with a piece on the board, giving it a subtle nudge!

Infused with the power of time, that piece had broken free and vanished, reappearing in a square from the past and narrowly escaping the encirclement.

Technically, this was a blatant violation of the rules; a move once made cannot be retracted, so how could it be shifted?

Furthermore, this wasn't a genuine solution to the tactical deadlock.

Nevertheless, the fact that he could even perceive this opening amidst the interwoven complexity of their Chess Tao was enough to shock the two masters. After all, this youth’s soul age was a mere few hundred years—not even a fraction of the age of those who claimed the title of Emperor.

"A true gentleman watches a match in silence, yet this little fellow doesn't say a word and simply makes a move..."

Elder Qi couldn't help but let out a soft, amused smile.

...

At the edge of the Ninth-layer Heavenly Domain.

Above the lake, the once vibrant green waters were now stained a murky reddish-brown with blood. The previously chaotic and violent waves had finally settled into a calm.

The fierce struggle that had taken place here was over. High in the air, the woman with snow-white hair was breathing heavily. Her robes were drenched and torn in several places, revealing multiple wounds on her body. In her hand, she tightly gripped three silver-white orbs of light.

"Hmm?"

Suddenly, the snow-haired woman’s expression shifted as she sensed a dark omen. Without a second's delay, she retreated from the lake back to the land, reaching the safety of the surrounding void.

"Miss, are you hurt?"

The snow-haired girl hurried to her side, her voice filled with urgency.

The snow-haired woman remained silent, quickly refining the three clusters of Heavenly Dao power within her palm. Just then, the whistling sound of something cutting through the air reached her ears. It was the Chaos Red Demon Clan and the other Chaos Ancient Clans she had crossed paths with earlier.

"Hmm?"

The youth from the Chaos Red Demon Clan and his companions spotted the snow-haired woman. Realizing she had reached the Ninth-layer Heavenly Domain before them, their faces darkened. Their expressions soured even further when they noticed her injuries, which clearly indicated she had just finished a battle.

The Chaos Dao Seeds of the Eighth Layer had already been plundered by that Human. If the Chaos Dao Seeds of this Ninth-layer Heavenly Domain were snatched up by someone else as well, they would be forced to retreat and search the Seventh Layer.

That would mean they were falling embarrassingly behind the others.

"As expected of the Ancient Immortal Clan, your speed is truly impressive."

The Chaos Red Demon youth spoke with a sneer.

"Have you encountered the Human?" another youth from a Chaos Ancient Clan asked, black wings sprouting from his back.

The snow-haired woman could feel the four of them watching her with hostile intent, yet she regained her composure. "Whether I have seen him or not, what business is it of yours?"

"You!"

The eyes of another Chaos Ancient Clan member flashed with a murderous chill, and he seemed ready to strike. Even though the woman before them was a genius of the Ancient Immortal Clan, they had four people on their side. If they worked together and risked using a Domain Artifact, they held the advantage.

As they argued, a deep, guttural roar erupted from the land, interrupting their confrontation. Three massive forms of Chaos Dao Seeds soared into the sky. Two were terrifying, avian-like monsters, while the third appeared to be a fusion of a lion and a scorpion—its body was armored in scales with a lethal tail, yet it possessed the golden face of a lion.

"Three Chaos Dao Seeds!"

The eyes of the Chaos Red Demon youth and the others lit up at the sight of these three behemoths.

The snow-haired woman’s eyes narrowed. Having just survived the battle over the lake, she knew better than to underestimate the Chaos Dao Seeds of the Ninth-layer Heavenly Domain. It was fortunate she had pulled back when she did; in her current state, being trapped by these three would have forced her to burn a Domain Artifact just to flee.

"You’ve already had your fill of hunting earlier. These three belong to us!"

The Chaos Ancient Clan youth with the black wings stated firmly, his gaze radiating a clear threat.

The other three shifted their attention toward the snow-haired woman, looking ready to fight her if she showed any intent to compete for the prizes.

Seeing their aggressive stance, the snow-haired woman let out a cold, sharp smile. "If you actually have the skill to kill them, then they are yours—provided I don't change my mind first."